Lakeside Middle School, Evans GA

Original Research by School Decision on Lakeside Middle School

Lakeside Middle School serves students in grades six through eight in Evans, an affluent residential suburb and de facto county seat in the fast-growing Augusta metro area. The school's enrollment sits near the typical size for its grade band, with a student body that is roughly evenly split between white students and students of color, and a substantial share of students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunch.

On state assessments, Lakeside shows patterns typical of many middle schools serving moderately mixed populations: mixed performance across grades and subjects, with some subjects and grades performing noticeably stronger than others. In math, proficiency improves as students advance, with sixth-grade results substantially lower than eighth-grade results. In English language arts, results hover around the same level across grades six through eight. In eighth-grade science and social studies, proficiency sits just above the midpoint. Overall, the school's proficiency index—the mean of its tested subjects and grades—places it above the midpoint when compared against the other districts in Columbia County.

The modest proficiency results across the board reflect the economic and demographic composition of the school's enrollment. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, a population indicator that typically correlates with lower standardized test performance absent additional targeted support. A parent may want to ask the school directly about its approach to academic intervention, tutoring, or additional supports for students below grade level, as this information was not available in the public data.

Lakeside sits within Columbia County Schools, which has made deliberate curriculum investments to raise achievement across the district. The district developed its own Academic Curriculum for Excellence, or ACE, covering language arts, math, science, and social studies, with embedded benchmark assessments and a digital platform to support teaching. This is a multi-year, district-wide effort that should influence instruction in the school. Columbia County also passed a school sales tax extension in late 2024, continuing stable capital funding for construction and technology without a tax increase. Additionally, the school millage rate has been rolled back five years running, now at its lowest level in two decades, a meaningful consideration for families evaluating property costs.

One thing to note: in 2024 the district reworked attendance zones significantly across the county to accommodate the opening of a new elementary school and closures elsewhere. If you are considering a home purchase in Evans, check the current attendance zone assignment for the address you are interested in, as zone assignments have shifted.

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Academic performance

How students perform on state tests, by grade, set against the district.

Math

Grade 646%

School 46% · District 51% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 749%

School 49% · District 59% · ▼ 10 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Grade 860%

School 60% · District 65% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 17 pts above state median

English language arts

Grade 648%

School 48% · District 57% · ▼ 8 pts below district

▲ 13 pts above state median

Grade 753%

School 53% · District 59% · ▼ 6 pts below district

▲ 18 pts above state median

Grade 850%

School 50% · District 55% · ▼ 4 pts below district

▲ 15 pts above state median

Science

Grade 853%

School 53% · District 12% · ▲ 41 pts above district

▲ 27 pts above state median

Social studies

Grade 855%

School 55% · District 60% · ▼ 5 pts below district

▲ 24 pts above state median

This schoolColumbia County, same grade

Graduation rate (ACGR) reflects the federally published Adjusted Cohort Graduation Rate for the most recent year available. We refresh this data annually at the close of each academic year in June. The federal source publishes a banded rate (for example, "90-94%") instead of an exact number for cohorts small enough to risk identifying individual students. The state distribution chart, where shown, plots every school in the state with a published rate or band; schools whose rate is federally suppressed are excluded. Where the federal source publishes a band rather than an exact rate, the school is placed within its band using a stable, ID-derived offset, so its position is consistent across visits.

Proficiency by household income

English language arts

Grade 6Lower-income49%Higher-income66%17 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income39%Higher-income52%13 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income41%Higher-income58%18 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income43%Higher-income58%15 pp gap

Mathematics

Grade 6Lower-income31%Higher-income51%20 pp gap

Grade 7Lower-income31%Higher-income48%17 pp gap

Grade 8Lower-income35%Higher-income57%22 pp gap

Grades 3-8Lower-income32%Higher-income52%20 pp gap